Three Homilies on the Dormition of the TheotokosBy Saint John of Damascus

[147] THE memory of the just takes place with rejoicing, said Solomon, the wisest of men; for
precious in God's sight is the death of His saints, according to the royal* David. If, then, the memory of all the just is a subject of rejoicing, who
will not offer praise to justice in its source, and holiness in its treasure-house? It is not
mere praise; it is praising with the intention of gaining eternal glory. God's dwelling-place
does not need our praise, that city of God, concerning which great things were spoken, as holy.† David addresses it in these words: "Glorious things are said of
thee, thou city of God." What sort of city shall we choose for the invisible and uncircumscribed
God, who holds all things in His hand, if not [148] that city which alone is above nature, giving
shelter without circumscription* to the supersubstantial Word of God?
Glorious things have been spoken of that city by God himself. For what is more exalted than being
made the recipient of God's counsel, which is from all eternity?

Neither human tongue nor angelic mind is able worthily to praise her through whom it is given
to us to look clearly upon the Lord's glory. What then? Shall we be silent through fear of our
insufficiency? Certainly not. Shall we be trespassers beyond our own boundaries, and freely
handle ineffable mysteries, putting off all restraint? By no means. Mingling, rather, fear with
desire, and weaving them into one crown, with reverent hand and longing soul, let us show forth
the poor first-fruits of our intelligence in gratitude to our Queen and Mother, the benefactress
of all creation as a repayment of our debt. A story is told of some rustics who were ploughing up
the soil when a king chanced to pass, in the splendour of his royal robes and crown, and
surrounded by countless gift bearers, standing in a circle. [149] As there was no gift to offer
at that moment, one of them was collecting water in his hands, as there happened to be a copious
stream near by. Of this he prepared a gift for the king, who addressed him in these words: "What
is this, my boy?" And he answered boldly: "I made the best of what I had, thinking it was better
to show my willingness, than to offer nothing. You do not need our gifts, nor do you wish for
anything from us save our good will. The need is on our side, and the reward is in the doing. I
know that glory often comes to the grateful."

The king in wonder praised the boy's cleverness, graciously acknowledged his willingness, and
made him many rich gifts in return. Now, if that proud monarch so generously rewarded good
intentions, will not Our Lady (h ontwV agaqh despoina), the Mother of
God, accept our good will, not judging us by what we accomplish? Our Lady is the Mother of
God, who alone is good and infinite in His condescension, who preferred the two mites to many
splendid gifts. She will indeed receive us, who are paying off our debt, and make us a return out
of all proportion to what we offer. Since prayer is absolutely [150] necessary for our needs, let
us direct our attention to it.

What shall we say, O Queen? What words shall we use? What praise shall we pour upon thy sacred
and glorified head, thou giver of good gifts and of riches, the pride of the human race, the
glory of all creation, through whom it is truly blessed. He whom nature did not contain in the
beginning, was born of thee. The Invisible One is contemplated face to face. O Word of God, do
Thou open my slow lips, and give their utterances Thy richest blessing; inflame us with the grace
of Thy Spirit, through whom fishermen became orators, and ignorant men spoke supernatural wisdom,
so that our feeble voices may contribute to thy loved Mother's praises, even though greatness
should be extolled by misery. She, the chosen one of an ancient race, by a predetermined counsel
and the good pleasure of God the Father, who had begotten Thee in eternity immaterially, brought
Thee forth in the latter times, Thou who art propitiation and salvation, justice and redemption,
life of life, light of light, and true God of true God.

The birth of her, whose Child was [151] marvellous, was above nature and understanding, and it
was salvation to the world; her death was glorious, and truly a sacred feast. The Father
predestined her, the prophets foretold her through the Holy Ghost. His sanctifying power
overshadowed her, cleansed* and made her holy, and, as it were,
predestined her. Then Thou, Word of the Father, not dwelling in place,† didst invite the lowliness of our nature to be united to the
immeasurable greatness of Thy inscrutable Godhead. Thou, who didst take flesh of the Blessed
Virgin, vivified by a reasoning soul, having first abided in her undefiled and immaculate womb,
creating Thyself, and causing her to exist in Thee, didst become perfect man,, not ceasing to be
perfect God, equal to Thy Father, but taking upon Thyself our weakness through ineffable
goodness. Through it Thou art one Christ, one Lord, one Son of God, and man at the same time,
perfect God and perfect man, wholly God and wholly man, one Substance (upostasiV) from two perfect natures, the Godhead and the manhood. And in two
perfect natures, the divine and the human, God is not pure God, [152] nor the man only man, but
the Son of God and the Incarnate God are one and the same God and man without confusion or
division, uniting in Himself substantially the attributes of both natures. Thus, He is at once
uncreated and created, mortal and immortal, visible and invisible, in place and not in place. He
has a divine will and a human will, a divine action and a human also, two powers of choosing
(autexousia) divine and human. He shows forth divine wonders and human
affections--natural, I mean, and pure. Thou hast taken upon Thyself, Lord, of Thy great mercy,
the state of Adam as he was before the fall, body, soul, and mind, and all that they involve
physically, so as to give me a perfect salvation. It is true indeed that what was not assumed was
not healed.* Having thus become the mediator between God and man, Thou
didst destroy enmity, and lead back to Thy Father those who had deserted Him, wanderers to their
home, and those in darkness to the light. Thou didst bring pardon to the contrite, and didst
change mortality into immortality. Thou didst deliver the world from the aberration of [153] many
gods, and didst make men the children of God, partakers of Thy divine glory. Thou didst raise the
human race, which was condemned to bell, above all power and majesty, and in Thy person it is
seated on the King's eternal throne. Who was the instrument of these infinite benefits exceeding
all mind and comprehension, if not the Mother ever Virgin who bore Thee?

Realise, Beloved in the Lord, the grace of to-day, and its wondrous solemnity. Its mysteries
are not terrible, nor do they inspire awe. Blessed are they who have eyes to see. Blessed are
they who see with spiritual eyes. This night shines as the day. What countless angels acclaim the
death of the life-giving Mother! How the eloquence of apostles blesses the departure of this body
which was the receptacle of God. How the Word of God, who deigned in His mercy to become her Son,
ministering with His divine hands to this immaculate and divine being,* as
His mother, receives her holy soul. O wondrous Law-giver, fulfilling the law which He bad Himself
laid down, not being bound by it, for it was He who enjoined children to show reverence to [154]
their parents. "Honour thy father and thy mother," He says. The truth of this is apparent to
every one, calling to mind even dimly the words of holy Scripture. If according to it the souls
of the just are in the hands of God, how much more is her soul in the hands of her Son and her
God. This is indisputable. Let us consider who she is and whence she came, how she, the greatest
and dearest of all God's gifts, was given to this world. Let us examine what her life was, and
the mysteries in which she took part. Heathens in the use of funeral orations most carefully
brought forward anything which could be turned to praise of the deceased, and at the same time
encourage the living to virtue, drawing generally upon fable and fiction, not having fact to go
upon. How then, shall we not deserve scorn if we bury in silence that which is most true and
sacred, and in very deed the source of praise and salvation to all ? Shall we not receive the
same punishment as the man who hid his master's talent ? Let us adapt our subject to the needs of
those who listen, as food is suited to the body.

Joachim and Anne were the parents of Mary. Joachim kept as strict a watch over [155] his
thoughts as a shepherd over his flock, having them entirely under his control. For the Lord God
led him as a sheep, and he wanted for none of the best things. When I say best, let no one think
I mean what is commonly acceptable to the multitude, that upon which greedy minds are fixed, the
pleasures of life that can neither endure nor make their possessors better, nor confer real
strength. They follow the downward course of human life and cease all in a moment, even if they
abounded before. Far be it from us to cherish these things, nor is this the portion of those who
fear God. But the good things which are a matter of desire to those who possess true knowledge,
delighting God, and fruitful to their possessors, namely, virtues, bearing fruit in due season,
that is, in eternity, will reward with eternal life those who have laboured worthily and have
persevered in their acquisition as far as possible. The labour goes before, eternal happiness
follows. Joachim ever shepherded his thoughts. In the place of pastures, dwelling by
contemplation on the words of sacred Scripture, made glad on the restful waters of divine grace,
[156] withdrawn from foolishness, he walked in the path of justice. And Anne, whose name means
grace, was no less a companion in her life than a wife, blessed with all good gifts, though
afflicted for a mystical reason with sterility. Grace in very truth remained sterile, not being
able to produce fruit in the souls of men. Therefore, men declined from good and degenerated;
there was not one of understanding nor one who sought after God. Then His divine goodness, taking
pity on the work of His hands, and wishing to save it, put an end to that mystical barrenness,
that of holy (qeofronoV) Anne, I mean, and she gave birth to a child,
whose equal had never been created and never can be. The end of barrenness proved clearly that
the world's sterility would cease and that the withered trunk would be crowned with vigorous and
mystical life.

Hence the Mother of our Lord is announced. An angel foretells her birth. It was fitting that
in this, too, she, who was to be the human Mother of the one true and living God, should be
marked out above every one else. Then she was offered in God's holy [157] temple, and remained
there, showing to all a great example of zeal and holiness, withdrawn from frivolous society.
When, however, she reached full age and the law required that she should leave the temple, she
was entrusted by the priests to Joseph, her bridegroom, as the guardian of her virginity, a
steadfast observer of the law from his youth. Mary, the holy and undefiled (panamwmoV), went to Joseph, contenting herself with her household matters,
and knowing nothing beyond her four walls.

In the fulness of time, as the divine apostle says, the angel Gabriel was sent to this true
child of God, and saluted her in the words, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee."
Beautiful is the angel's salutation to her who is greater than an angel. He is the bearer of joy
to the whole world. She was troubled at his words, not being used to speak with men, for she had
resolved to keep her virginity unsullied. She pondered in herself what this greeting might be.
Then the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary. Thou hast found grace before God." In very deed, she
who was worthy of grace had found it. She found [158] grace who had done the deeds of race, and
had reaped its fulness. She found grace who brought forth the source of grace, and was a rich
harvest of grace. She found an abyss of grace who kept undefiled her double virginity, her
virginal soul no less spotless than her body; hence her perfect virginity. "Thou shalt bring
forth a Son," he said, "and shalt call His name Jesus" (Jesus is interpreted Saviour). "He shall
save His people from their sins." What did she, who is true wisdom, reply? She does not imitate
our first mother Eve, but rather improves upon her incautiousness, and calling in nature to
support her, thus answers the angel: "How is this to be, since I know not man? What you say is
impossible, for it goes beyond the natural laws laid down by the Creator. I will not be called a
second Eve and disobey the will of my God. If you are not speaking godless things, explain the
mystery by saying how it is to be accomplished." Then the messenger of truth answered her: "The
Holy Spirit shall come to thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. Therefore
He who is born to thee shall be called the Son of God." That which is foretold is [159] not
subservient to the laws of nature. For God, the Creator of nature, can alter its laws. And she,
listening in holy reverence to that sacred name, which she had ever desired, signified her
obedience in words full of humility and joy: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me
according to thy word."

"O the depth of the riches, of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God," I will exclaim in the
apostle's words. "How incomprehensible are His judgments, and how unsearchable His ways." O
inexhaustible goodness of God! O boundless goodness! He who called what was not into being, and
filled heaven and earth, whose throne is heaven, and whose footstool is the earth, a spacious
dwelling-place, made the womb of His own servant, and in it the mystery of mysteries is
accomplished (to pantwn kainwn kainoteron apotelei musterion).
Being God He becomes man, and is marvellously brought forth without detriment to the
virginity of His Mother. And He is lifted up as a baby in earthly arms, who is the brightness of
eternal glory, the form of the Father's substance, by the word of whose mouth all created things
exist. O truly divine wonder! O mystery [160] transcending all nature and understanding! O
marvellous virginity! What, O holy Mother and Virgin, is this great mystery accomplished in thee?
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Thou art blessed from
generation to generation, thou who alone art worthy of being blessed. Behold all generations
shall call thee blessed as thou hast said. The daughters of Jerusalem, I mean, of the Church, saw
thee. Queens have blessed thee, that is, the spirits of the just, and they shall praise thee for
ever. Thou art the royal throne which angels surround, seeing upon it their very King and Lord.
Thou art a spiritual Eden, holier and diviner than Eden of old. That Eden was the abode of the
mortal Adam, whilst the Lord came from heaven to dwell in thee. The ark foreshadowed thee who
hast kept the seed of the new world. Thou didst bring forth Christ, the salvation of the world,
who destroyed sin and its angry waves. The burning bush was a figure of thee, and the tablets of
the law, and the ark of the testament. The golden urn and candelabra, the table and the flowering
rod of Aaron were significant types of thee. From thee arose [161] the splendour of the Godhead,
the eternal Word of the Father, the most sweet and heavenly Manna, the sacred Name above every
name, the Light which was from the beginning. The heavenly Bread of Life, the Fruit without seed,
took flesh of thee. Did not that flame foreshadow thee with its burning fire an image of the
divine fire within thee? And Abraham's tent most clearly pointed to thee. By the Word of God
dwelling in thee human nature produced the bread made of ashes, its first fruits, from thy most
pure womb, the first fruits kneaded into bread and cooked by divine fire, becoming His divine
person, and His true substance of a living body quickened by a reasoning and intelligent soul.* I had nearly forgotten Jacob's ladder. Is it not evident to every one that
it prefigured thee, and is not the type easily recognised ? just as Jacob saw the ladder bringing
together heaven and earth, and on it angels coming down and going up, and the truly strong and
invulnerable God [162] wrestling mystically with himself, so art thou placed between us, and art
become the ladder of God's intercourse with us, of Him who took upon Himself our weakness,
uniting us to Himself, and enabling man to see God. Thou hast brought together what was parted.
Hence angels descended to Him, ministering to Him as their God and Lord, and men, adopting the
life of angels, are carried up to heaven.

How shall I understand the prediction of prophets ? Shall I not refer them to thee, as we can
prove them to be true? What is the fleece of David which receives the Son of the Almighty God,
co-eternal and co-equal with His Father, as rain falls upon the soil? Does it not signify thee in
thy bright shining? Who is the virgin foretold by Isaias who should conceive and bear a Son, God
ever present with us, that is, who being born a man should remain God? What is Daniel's mountain
from which arose Christ, the Corner-Stone, not made by the hand of man ? Is it not thee,
conceiving without man and still remaining a virgin? Let the inspired Ezechiel come forth and
show us the closed gate, sealed by the Lord, and not yielding, according to his [163]
prophecy--let him point to its fulfilment in thee. The Lord of all came to thee, and taking flesh
did not open the door of thy virginity. The seal remains intact. The prophets, then, foretell
thee. Angels and apostles minister to thee, O Mother of God, ever Virgin, and John the virgin
apostle. Angels and the spirits of the just, patriarchs and prophets surround thee to-day in thy
departure to thy Son. Apostles watched over the countless host of the just who were gathered
together from every corner of the earth by the divine commands, as a cloud around the divine and
living Jerusalem, singing hymns of praise to thee, the author of our Lord's life-giving body.

O how does the source of life pass through death to life? O how can she obey the law of
nature, who, in conceiving, surpasses the boundaries of nature? How is her spotless body made
subject to death? In order to be clothed with immortality she must first put off mortality, since
the Lord of nature did not reject the penalty of death. She dies according to the flesh, destroys
death by death, and through corruption gains incorruption (fqora [164]
thn afqarsin carizetai), and makes her death the source of
resurrection. O how does Almighty God receive with His own hands the holy disembodied soul of our
Lord's Mother! He honours her truly, whom being His servant by nature, He made His Mother, in His
inscrutable abyss of mercy, when He became incarnate in very truth. We may well believe that the
angelic choirs waited to receive thy departing soul. O what a blessed departure this going to God
of thine. If God vouchsafes it to all His servants--and we know that He does--what an immense
difference there is between His servants and His Mother. What, then, shall we call this mystery
of thine? Death? Thy blessed soul is naturally parted from thy blissful and undefiled body, and
the body is delivered to the grave, yet it does not endure in death, nor is it the prey of
corruption. The body of her, whose virginity remained unspotted in child-birth, was preserved in
its incorruption, and was taken to a better, diviner place, where death is not, but eternal life.
Just as the glorious sun may be hidden momentarily by the opaque moon, it shows still though
covered, and its rays illumine the darkness [165] since light belongs to its essence. It has in
itself a perpetual source of light, or rather it is the source of light as God created it. So art
thou the perennial source of true light, the treasury of life itself, the richness of grace, the
cause and medium of all our goods. And if for a time thou art hidden by the death of the
body, without speaking, thou art our light, life-giving ambrosia, true happiness, a sea of grace,
a fountain of healing and of perpetual blessing. Thou art as a fruitful tree in the forest, and
thy fruit is sweet in the mouth of the faithful. Therefore I will not call thy sacred
transformation death, but rest or going home, and it is more truly a going home. Putting off
corporeal things, thou dwellest in a happier state.

Angels with archangels bear thee up. Impure spirits trembled at thy departure. The air raises
a hymn of praise at thy passage, and the atmosphere is purified. Heaven receives thy soul with
joy. The heavenly powers greet thee with sacred canticles and with joyous praise, saying : "Who
is this most pure creature ascending, shining as the dawn, beautiful as the moon, conspicuous as
the [166] sun? How sweet and lovely thou art, the lily of the field, the rose among thorns;
therefore the young maidens loved thee. We are drawn after the odour of thy ointments. The King
introduced thee into His chamber. There Powers protect thee, Principalities praise thee, Thrones
proclaim thee, Cherubim are hushed in joy, and Seraphim magnify the true Mother by nature and by
grace of their very Lord. Thou wert not taken into heaven as Elias was, nor didst thou penetrate
to the third heaven with Paul, but thou didst reach the royal throne itself of thy Son, seeing it
with thy own eyes, standing by it in joy and unspeakable familiarity. O gladness of angels and of
all heavenly powers, sweetness of patriarchs and of the just, perpetual exultation of prophets,
rejoicing the world and sanctifying all things, refreshment of the weary, comfort of the
sorrowful, remission of sins, health of the sick, harbour of the storm-tossed, lasting strength
of mourners, and perpetual succour of all who invoke thee."

O wonder surpassing nature and creating wonder! Death, which of old was feared and hated, is a
matter of praise and blessing. Of old [167] it was the harbinger of grief, dejection, tears, and
sadness, and now it is shown forth as the cause of joy and rejoicing. In the case of all God's
servants, whose death is extolled, His good pleasure is surmised from their holy end, and
therefore their death is blessed. It shows them to be perfect, blessed and immoveable in
goodness, as the proverb says: "Praise no man before his death." This, however, we do not apply
to thee. Thy blessedness was not death, nor was dying thy perfection, nor, again, did thy
departure hence help thee to security. Thou art the beginning, middle, and end of all goods
transcending mind, for thy Son in His conception and divine dwelling in thee is made our sure and
true security. Thus thy words were true: from the moment of His conception, not from thy death,
thou didst say all generations should call thee blessed. It was thou who didst break the force of
death, paying its penalty, and making it gracious. Hence, when thy holy and sinless body was
taken to the tomb, the choirs of angels bore it, and were all around, leaving nothing undone for
the honour of our Lord's Mother, whilst apostles and all the assembly of the Church burst into
[168] prophetic song, saying: "We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house, holy is Thy
temple, wonderful in justice." And again: "The Most High has sanctified His tabernacle. The
mountain of God is a fertile mountain, the mountain in which it pleased God to dwell." The
apostolic band lifting the true ark of the Lord God on their shoulders, as the priests of old the
typical ark, and placing thy body in the tomb, made it, as if another Jordan, the way to the true
land of the gospel, the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of all the faithful, God being its Lord
and architect. Thy soul did not descend to Limbo, neither did thy flesh see corruption. Thy pure
and spotless body was not left in the earth, but the abode of the Queen, of God's true Mother,
was fixed in the heavenly kingdom alone.

O how did heaven receive her who is greater than heaven? How did she, who had received God,
descend into the grave? This truly happened, and she was held by the tomb. It was not after
bodily wise that she surpassed heaven. For how can a body measuring three cubits, and continually
losing flesh, be compared with the dimensions of heaven ? It was rather [169] by grace that she
surpassed all height and depth, for that which is divine is incomparable. O sacred and wonderful,
holy and worshipful body, ministered to now by angels, standing by in lowly reverence. Demons
tremble: men approach with faith, honouring and worshipping her, greeting her with eyes and lips,
and drawing down upon themselves abundant blessings. Just as a rich scent sprinkled upon clothes
or places, leaves its fragrance even after it has been withdrawn, so now that holy, undefiled,
and divine body, filled with heavenly fragrance, the rich source of grace, is laid in the tomb
that it may be translated to a higher and better place. Nor did she leave the grave empty; her
body imparted to it a divine fragrance, a source of healing, and of all good for those who
approach it with faith.

We, too, approach thee to-day, O Queen; and again, I say, O Queen, O Virgin Mother of God,
staying our souls with our trust in thee, as with a strong anchor. Lifting up mind, soul and
body, and all ourselves to thee, rejoicing in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, we reach
through thee One who is beyond our reach on account of His Majesty. If, as the divine Word made
flesh taught us, [170] honour shown to servants, is honour shown to our common Lord, how can
honour shown to thee, His Mother, be slighted? How is it not most desirable? Art thou not
honoured as the very breath of life? Thus shall we best show our service to our Lord Himself.
What do I say to our Lord? It is sufficient that those who think of Thee should recall the memory
of Thy most precious gift as the cause of our lasting joy. How it fills us with gladness! How the
mind that dwells on this holy treasury of Thy grace enriches itself.

This is our thank-offering to thee, the first fruits of our discourses, the best homage of my
poor mind, whilst I am moved by desire of thee, and full of my own misery. But do thou graciously
receive my desire, knowing that it exceeds my power. Watch over us, O Queen, the dwelling-place
of our Lord. Lead and govern all our ways as thou wilt. Save us from our sins. Lead us into the
calm harbour of the divine will. Make us worthy of future happiness through the sweet and
face-to-face vision of the Word made flesh through thee. With Him, glory, praise, power, and
majesty be to the Father and to the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

[171] THERE is no one in existence who is able to praise worthily the holy death of God's
Mother, even if he should have a thousand tongues and a thousand mouths. Not if all the most
eloquent tongues could be united would their praises be sufficient. She is greater than all
praise. Since, however, God is pleased with the efforts of a loving zeal, and the Mother of God
with what concerns the service of her Son, suffer me now to revert again to her praises. This is
in obedience to your orders, most excellent pastors, so dear to God, and we call upon the Word
made flesh of her to come to our assistance. He gives speech to every mouth which is opened for
Him. He is her sole pleasure and adornment. We know that in celebrating her praises we pay off
our debt, [172] and that in so doing we are again debtors, so that the debt is ever beginning
afresh. It is fitting that we should exalt her who is above all created things, governing them as
Mother of the God who is their Creator, Lord, and Master. Bear with me you who hang upon the
divine words, and receive my good will. Strengthen my desire, and be patient with the weakness of
my words. It is as if a man were to bring a violet of royal purple out of season, or a fragrant
rose with buds of different hues, or some rich fruit of autumn to a mighty potentate who is
divinely appointed to rule over men. Every day he sits at a table laden with every conceivable
dish in the perfumed courts of his palace. He does not look at the smallness of the offering, or
at its novelty so much as he admires the good intention, and with reason. This he would reward
with an abundance of gifts and favours. So we, in our winter of poverty,*
bring garlands to our Queen, [172] and prepare a flower of oratory for the feast of praise. We
break our mind's stony desire with iron, pressing, as it were, the unripe grapes. And may you
receive with more and more favour the words which fall upon your eager and listening ears.

What shall we offer the Mother of the Word if not our words? Like rejoices in like and in what
it loves. Thus, then, making a start and loosening the reins of my discourse, I may send it forth
as a charger ready equipped for the race. But do Thou, O Word of God, be my helper and auxiliary,
and speak wisdom to my unwisdom. By Thy word make my path clear, and direct my course according
to Thy good pleasure, which is the end of all wisdom and discernment.

To-day the holy Virgin of Virgins is presented in the heavenly temple. Virginity in her was so
strong as to be a consuming fire. It is forfeited in every case by child-birth. But she is ever a
virgin, before the event, in the birth itself, and afterwards. To-day the sacred and living ark
of the living God, who conceived her Creator Himself, takes up her abode in the temple of God,
not made by hands. David, her [174] forefather,* rejoices. Angels and
Archangels are in jubilation, Powers exult, Principalities and Dominations, Virtues and Thrones
are in gladness: Cherubim and Seraphim magnify God. Not the least of their Praise is it to refer
praise to the Mother of glory. To-day the holy dove, the pure and guileless soul, sanctified by
the Holy Spirit, putting off the ark of her body, the life-giving receptacle of Our Lord, found
rest to the soles of her feet, taking her flight to the spiritual world, and dwelling securely in
the sinless country above. To-day the Eden of the new Adam receives the true paradise, in which
sin is remitted and the tree of life growl, and our nakedness is covered. For we are no longer
naked and uncovered, and unable to bear the splendour of the divine likeness. Strengthened with
the abundant grace of the Spirit, we shall no longer betray our nakedness in the words: "I have
Put off my garment, how shall I put it on?" The serpent, by whose deceitful promise we were
likened to brute beasts, did not enter into this paradise. He, the only begotten Son of God, God
himself, of the same substance as the Father, took His [175] human nature of the pure Virgin.
Being constituted a man, He made mortality immortal, and was clothed as a man. Putting aside
corruption, He was indued with the incorruptibility of the Godhead.

To-day the spotless Virgin, untouched by earthly affections, and all heavenly in her thoughts,
was not dissolved in earth, but truly entering heaven, dwells in the heavenly tabernacles. Who
would be wrong to call her heaven, unless indeed he truly said that she is greater than heaven in
surpassing dignity? The Lord and Creator of heaven, the Architect of all things beneath the earth
and above, of creation, visible and invisible, Who is not circumvented by place (if that which
surrounds things is rightly termed place), created Himself, without human co-operation, an Infant
in her. He made her a rich treasure-house of His all-pervading and alone uncircumscribed Godhead,
subsisting entirely in her without passion, remaining entire in His universality and Himself
uncircumscribed. To-day the life-giving treasury and abyss of charity (I know not how to trust my
lips to speak of it) is hidden in immortal death. She meets it [176] without fear, who conceived
death's destroyer, if indeed we may call her holy and vivifying departure by the name of death.
For how could she, who brought life to all, be under the dominion of death ? But she obeys the
law of her own Son, and inherits this chastisement as a daughter of the first Adam, since her
Son, who is the life, did not refuse it. As the Mother of the living God, she goes through death
to Him. For if God said: "Unless the first man put out his hand to take and taste of the tree of
life, he shall live for ever," how shall she, who received the Life Himself, without beginning or
end, or finite vicissitudes, not live for ever.

Of old the Lord God banished from the garden of Eden our first parents after their
disobedience, when they had dulled the eye of their heart through their sin, and weakened their
mind's discernment, and had fallen into death-like apathy. But, now, shall not paradise receive
her, who broke the bondage of all passion, sowed the seed of obedience to God and the Father, and
was the beginning of life to the whole human race ? Will not heaven open its gates to her with
rejoicing ? Yes, indeed. Eve listened to the serpent, adopted [177] his suggestion, was caught by
the lure of false and deceptive pleasure, and was condemned to pain and sorrow, and to bear
children in suffering. With Adam she received the sentence of death, and was placed in the
recesses of Limbo. How can death claim as its prey this truly blessed one, who listened to God's
word in humility, and was filled with the Spirit, conceiving the Father's gift through the
archangel, bearing without concupiscence or the co-operation of man the Person of the Divine
Word, who fills all things, bringing Him forth, without the pains of childbirth, being wholly
united to God? How could Limbo open its gates to her ? How could corruption touch the life-giving
body ? These are things quite foreign to the soul and body of God's Mother. Death trembled before
her. In approaching her Son, death had learnt experience from His sufferings, and had grown
wiser. The gloomy descent to hell was not for her, but a joyous, easy, and sweet passage to
heaven. If, as Christ, the Life and the Truth says: "Wherever I am, there is also my minister,"
how much more shall not His mother be with Him? She brought Him forth without pain, and her
death, also, was painless. [178] The death of sinners is terrible, for in it, sin, the cause of
death, is sacrificed. What shall we say of her if not that she is the beginning of perpetual
life. Precious indeed is the death of His saints to the Lord God of powers. More than precious is
the passing away of God's Mother. Now let the heavens and the angels rejoice: let the earth and
men be full of gladness. Let the air resound with song and canticle, and dark night put off its
gloom, and emulate the brightness of day through the scintillating stars. The living city of the
Lord God is assumed from God's temple, the visible Sion, and kings bring forth His most precious
gift, their mother, to the heavenly Jerusalem, that is to say, the apostles constituted princes
by Christ, over all the earth, accompany the ever virginal Mother of God.

It seems to me not superfluous to bring forward and insist on the past types of this holy one,
the Mother of God. These types succinctly announced the Divine Child whom we have received. I
look upon His Mother as the saint of saints, the holiest of all, the fragrant urn for the manna,
or rather, to speak more truly, the fountain taking its rise in the [179] divine and far-famed
city of David, in Sion the glorious; in it the law is fulfilled and the spiritual law is
portrayed. In Sion, Christ the Law-giver consummated the typical pasch, and God, the Author of
the old and the new dispensation, gave us the true pasch. In it the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world, initiated His disciples unto His mystical feast, and gave them Himself
slain as a victim, and the grape pressed in the true vine. In Sion, Christ is seen by His
apostles, risen from the dead, and Thomas is told, and through Thomas the world, that He is Lord
and God, having in Himself two natures after His resurrection, and consequently two operations,
independent wills, enduring for all ages. Sion is the crown of churches, the resting-place of
disciples. In it the echo of the Holy Spirit, the gift of tongues, His fiery descent are
transmitted to the apostles. In it St John, taking the Mother of God, ministered to her wants.
Sion is the mother of churches in the whole world, who offered a resting-place to the Mother of
God after her Son's resurrection from the dead. In it, lastly, the Blessed Virgin was stretched
on a small bed.

[180] When I had reached this point of my discourse, I was obliged to give vent to my own
feelings, and burning with loving desire, to shed reverent yet joyful tears, embracing, as it
were, the bed so happy and blest and wondrous, which received the life-giving tabernacle and
rejoiced in the contact of holiness. I seemed to take into my arms that holy and sacred body
itself, worthy of God, and pressing my eyes, lips, and forehead, head, and cheeks to hers, I felt
as if she was really there, though I was unable to see with my eyes what I desired. How, then,
was she assumed to the heavenly courts? In this way. What were the honours then conferred upon
her by God who commands us to honour our parents? The cloud which enclosed Jerusalem as with a
net, by the divine commands, brought together eagles from the ends of the earth, those who are
spread over the world, fishing for men in the various and numerous tongues of the spirit. By the
net of the word they are saving men from the abyss of doubt and bringing them to the spiritual
and heavenly table of the sacred and mystical banquet, the perfect marriage feast of the Divine
Bridegroom, [181] which the Father celebrates with His Son, who is equal to Himself and of the
same nature. "Where the spirit is," says Christ the Truth, "there shall the eagles be gathered
together." If we have already spoken concerning the second great and splendid coming of Him who
spoke these words, it will not be out of place here by way of condiment.

Eye-witnesses, then, and ministers of the word were there, duly ministering to His Mother, and
drawing from her a rich inheritance, as it were, and a full measure of praise. For is it a matter
of doubt to any one that she is the source of blessing and the fountain of all good? Their
followers and successors also were there, joining in their ministry and in their praise. A common
labour produces common fruits. A chosen band from Jerusalem were there. It was fitting that the
foremost men and prophets of the old law, they who had foretold God the Word's saving birth of
her in time, should be there as a guard of honour. Nor did the angelic choirs fail. They who
obeyed the king heartily (kata gnwmhn) and consequently were honoured
by standing near Him, had the right [182] to serve as a body-guard to His Mother, according to
the flesh, the truly blessed and blissful one, surpassing all generations and all creation. All
those were with her who are the brightness and the shining of the spirit, with spiritual eyes
fixed upon her in reverence, and fear, and pure desire.

We hear divine and inspired words, and spiritual canticles appropriate to the parting hour. On
this account it was meet to praise His boundless goodness, His immeasurable greatness, His
omnipotence, the generosity surpassing all measure in His dealings with us, the overflowing
riches of His mercy, the abyss of His tenderness; how, putting aside His greatness, He descended
to our littleness with the co-operation of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Again, the
supersubstantial One is supersubstantially created in the virginal womb. Being God He became man,
and remains according to this union perfect God and perfect man, not giving up the substance of
His Godhead nor ceasing to be of the same flesh and blood as we are. He, who fills all things and
governs the universe with one word, took up His abode in a narrow place, and the material body of
[183] this blessed one received the burning fire of the Godhead, and as genuine gold it remained
intact. This has taken place because God willed it, since His good pleasure makes things possible
which could not happen without it. Then followed a strife of praise, not as if each was seeking
to outdo the other--for this is vainglorious and far from pleasing to God--but as if they would
leave nothing undone for the glory of God and the honour of God's Mother.

Then Adam and Eve, our first parents, opened their lips to exclaim, "Thou blessed daughter of
ours, who hast removed the penalty of our disobedience! Thou, inheriting from us a mortal body,
hast won us immortality. Thou, taking thy being from us, hast given us back the being in grace.
Thou hast conquered pain and loosened the bondage of death. Thou hast restored us to our former
state. We had shut the door of paradise; thou didst find entrance to the tree of life. Through us
sorrow came out of good; through thee good from sorrow. How canst thou who art all fair taste of
death ? Thou art the gate of life and the ladder to heaven. Death is [184] become the passage to
immortality. O thou e truly blessed one! who that is not the Word could have borne what thou hast
borne?"*

All the company of the saints exclaimed, "Thou hast fulfilled our predictions. Thou hast
purchased our present joy for us. Through thee we have broken the chains of death. Come to us,
divine and life-giving receptacle. Come, our desire, thou who hast gained us our desire."

And the saints standing by added their no less burning words: "Remain with us, our comfort,
our sole joy in this world. O Mother leave us not orphans who have suffered on thy Son's account.
May we have thee as a refuge and refreshment in our labours and weariness. Thou canst remain if
thou so willest, even as thou canst depart hence. if thou departest, O dwelling-place of God let
us go too, if we are thine through thy Son. Thou art our sole consolation on earth. We live as
long as thou livest, and it is bliss to die with thee. Why do we speak of death? Death is life to
thee, and better than life-- [185] incomparably exceeding this life. How is our life--life, if we
are deprived of thee?"

The apostles and all the assembly of the Church may well have addressed some such words to the
blessed Virgin. When they saw the Mother of God near her end and longing for it, they were moved
by divine grace to sing farewell hymns, and wrapt out of the flesh, they sighed to accompany the
dying Mother of God, and anticipated death through intensity of will. When they had all satisfied
their duty of loving reverence and had woven her a rich crown of hymns, they spoke a parting
blessing over her, as a God-given treasure, and the last words. These, I should think, were
significant of this life's fleetingness, and of its leading to the hidden mysteries of future
goods.

This, it appears to me, is what they did at once and unanimously. The King was there to
receive with divine embrace* the holy, undefiled, and stainless soul of
His Mother on her going home. And she, as we may well conjecture, said, "Into Thy hands, O my
Son, I commend my spirit. Receive my soul, dear [186] to Thee, which Thou didst keep spotless. I
give my body to Thee, not to the earth. Guard that which Thou wert pleased to inhabit and to
preserve in virginity. Take to Thyself me that wherever Thou art, the fruit of my womb, there I
too may be. I am impelled to Thee who didst descend to me. Do Thou be the consolation of my most
cherished children, whom Thou didst vouchsafe to call Thy brethren, when my death leaves them in
loneliness. Bless them afresh through my hands." Then stretching out her hands, as we may
believe, she blessed all those present, and then she heard the words "Come, my beloved Mother, to
thy rest. Arise and come, most dear amongst women, the winter is past and gone, the harvest time
is at hand.* Thou art fair, my beloved, and there is no stain in thee. Thy
fragrance is sweeter than all ointments." With these words in her ear, that holy one gave up her
spirit into the hands of her Son.

What happens? Nature, I conjecture, is stirred to its depths, strange sounds and voices are
heard, and the swelling hymns of angels [187] who precede, accompany, and follow her. Some
constitute the guard of honour to that undefiled and immaculate (panagia) soul on its way to heaven until the queen reaches the divine
throne. Others surrounding the sacred and divine body proclaim God's Mother in angelic harmony.
What of those who watched by the most holy and immaculate (panagiw)
body? In loving reverence and with tears of joy they gathered round the blessed and divine
tabernacle, embracing every member, and were filled with holiness and thanksgiving. Then
illnesses were cured, and demons were put to flight and banished to the regions of darkness. The
air and atmosphere and heavens were sanctified by her passage through them, the earth by the
burial of her body. Nor was water deprived of a blessing. She was washed in pure water. It did
not cleanse her, but was rather itself sanctified. Then, hearing was given to the deaf, the lame
recovered their feet, and the blind, their sight. Sinners who approached with faith blotted out
the handwriting against them. Then the holy body is wrapped in a snow-white winding-sheet, and
the queen is again laid, upon her bed. Then [188] follow lights and incense and hymns, and angels
singing as befits the solemnity; apostles and patriarchs acclaiming her in inspired song.

When the Ark of God, departing from Mount Sion for the heavenly country, was borne on the
shoulders of the Apostles, it was placed on the way in the tomb. First it was taken through the
city, as a bride dazzling with spiritual radiance, and then carried to the sacred place of
Gethsemane, angels overshadowing it with their wings, going before, accompanying, and following
it, together with the whole assembly of the Church. King Solomon compelled all the elders of
Israel in Sion to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, that is Sion,
to rest in the temple of the Lord, which he had built, and the priests took the ark and the
tabernacle of the testimony, and the priests and levites raised it. And the king and all the
people sacrificed numberless oxen and sheep before the ark. And the priests carried in the ark of
the testimony of God into its place, into the Holy of Holies, beneath the wings of the cherubim.
So is it now with the [189] dwelling-place of the true ark, no longer of the testimony, but the
very substance of God the Word. The new Solomon, the Prince of peace, the Creator of all things
in the heavens and on the earth, assembled together to-day the supporters of the new covenant,
that is the Apostles, with all the people of the saints in Jerusalem, brought in her soul through
angels to the true Holy of Holies, under the wings of the four living creatures, and set her on
His throne within the Veil, where Christ Himself had preceded her. Her body the while is borne by
the Apostles' hands, the King of Kings covering her with the splendour of His invisible Godhead,
the whole assembly of the saints preceding her, with sacred song and sacrifice of praise until
through the tomb it was placed in the delights of Eden, the heavenly tabernacles.

Perchance, Jews also were there, if any, not too reprobate were to be found. It will not be
beside the mark to mention here a thing that is asserted by many. It is said that when those, who
were carrying the blessed body of God's Mother, had reached the descent of the opposite
mountains, a certain Jew, the slave of [190] sin, and pledged by his folly, imitated the servant
of Caiphas, who struck the divine Face of Christ our Lord and Master, and made himself the
devil's instrument. Full of wicked passion and malice, he rushed at that most divine tabernacle,
which angels approached with fear, and impiously dragged the bier with both his hands to the
ground. This was prompted by the envy of the arch enemy, but his labours were in vain, and he
reaped a severe and fitting reminder of his deed. It is said that he lost the use of his hands,
which had perpetrated his malicious deed, until faith moved him to repentance. The bearers were
standing near. The wretched man placed his hands on the wondrous and life-giving tabernacle, and
they again became sound. Circumstances had made him wise, as often happens. But let us return to
our subject.

Then they reached the most sacred Gethsemane, and once more there were embracings and prayers
and panegyrics, hymns and tears, poured forth by sorrowful and loving hearts. They mingled a
flood of weeping and sweating.* And thus the immaculate (panagion) [191] body was laid in the tomb. Then it was assumed after three
days to the heavenly mansions. The bosom of the earth was no fitting receptacle for the Lord's
dwelling-place, the living source of cleansing water, the corn of heavenly bread, the sacred vine
of divine wine, the evergreen and fruitful olive-branch of God's mercy. And just as the all holy
body of God's Son, which was taken from her, rose from the dead on the third day, it followed
that she should be snatched from the tomb, that the mother should be united to her Son; and as He
had come down to her, so she should be raised up to Him, into the more perfect dwelling-place,
heaven itself. It was meet that she, who had sheltered God the Word in her own womb, should
inhabit the tabernacles of her Son. And as our Lord said it behoved Him to be concerned with His
Father's business, so it behoved His mother that she should dwell in the courts of her Son, in
the house of the Lord, and in the courts of the house of our God. If all those who rejoice dwell
in Him, where must the cause itself of joy abide? It was fitting that the body of her, who
preserved her virginity unsullied in her [192] motherhood, should be kept from corruption even
after death. She who nursed her Creator as an infant at her breast, had a right to be in the
divine tabernacles. The place of the bride whom the Father had espoused, was in the heavenly
courts. It was fitting that she who saw her Son die on the cross, and received in her heart the
sword of pain which she had not felt in childbirth, should gaze upon Him seated next to the
Father. The Mother of God had a right to the possession of her Son, and as handmaid and Mother of
God to the worship of all creation. The inheritance of the parents ever passes to the children.
Now, as a wise man said, the sources of sacred waters are above. The Son made all creation serve
His Mother.

Let us then also keep solemn feast to-day to honour the joyful departure of God's Mother, not
with flutes nor corybants, nor the orgies of Cybele, the mother of false gods, as they say, whom
foolish people talk of as a fruitful mother of children, and truth as no mother at all. These are
demons and false imaginings. They usurp what they are not by nature to impose upon human folly.
For how can what [193] is bodiless lead the wedded life?* How can that be
god which, not being before, is present only after birth ? That devils were bodiless is apparent
to all, even to those who are intellectually blind. Homer somewhere testifies to the condition of
the gods he honours:

They eat not barley, and drink not ruddy wine, So they are bloodless and are called immortal.

They eat not bread, he says, neither do they drink fiery wine. On this account they are
anaemic, that is, without blood, and are called immortals. He truly and appropriately says, "are
called." They are called immortals. They are not that which they are called. They died the death
of wickedness. Now we worship God, not God beginning His being, but who always was and is above
all cause and argument or created mind or nature. We honour and reverence the Mother of God, not
ascribing to her the eternal generation of His Godhead. For the generation of God the Word was
not in time, and was co-eternal with the Father. We acknowledge a second generation in His
spontaneous taking flesh, and we see and know the cause of this. He [194] who is without
beginning and without body takes flesh for us as one of ourselves. And taking flesh of this
sacred Virgin, He is born without man, remaining Himself perfect God, and becoming perfect man,
perfect God in His flesh, and perfect Man in His Godhead. Thus, recognising God's Mother in this
Virgin, we celebrate her falling asleep, not proclaiming her as God--far be from us these heathen
fables--since we are announcing her death, but recognising her as the Mother of the Incarnate
God.

O people of Christ, let us acclaim her to-day in sacred song, acknowledge our own good fortune
and proclaim it. Let us honour her in nocturnal vigil; let us delight in her purity of soul and
body, for she next to God surpasses all in purity. It is natural for similar things to glory in
each other. Let us show our love for her by compassion and kindness towards the poor. For if
mercy is the best worship of God, who will refuse to show His Mother devotion in the same way?
She opened to us the unspeakable abyss of God's love for us. Through her the old enmity against
the Creator is destroyed. Through her our [195] reconciliation with Him is strengthened, peace
and grace are given to us, men are the companions of angels, and we, who were in dishonour, are
made the children of God. From her we have plucked the fruit of 1ife. From her we have received
the seed of immortality. She is the channel of all our goods. In her God was man and man was God.
What more marvellous or more blessed? I approach the subject in fear and trembling. With Mary,
the prophetess, O youthful souls, let us sound our musical instruments, mortifying our members on
earth, for this is spiritual music. Let our souls rejoice in the Ark of God, and the walls of
Jericho will yield, I mean the fortresses of the enemy. Let us dance in spirit with David; to-day
the Ark of God is at rest. With Gabriel, the great archangel, let us exclaim, "Hail, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee. Hail, inexhaustible ocean of grace. Hail, sole refuge in grief.
Hail, cure of hearts. Hail, through whom death is expelled and life is installed."

And you I will speak to as if living, most sacred of tombs, after the life-giving tomb of our
Lord which is the source of the resurrection. [196] Where is the pure gold which apostolic hands
confided to you? Where is the inexhaustible treasure ? Where the precious receptacle of God?
Where is the living table? Where the new book in which the incomprehensible Word of God is
written without hands? Where is the abyss of grace and the ocean of healing? Where is the
life-giving fountain? Where is the sweet and loved body of God's Mother?

Why* do you seek in the tomb one who has been assumed to the heavenly
courts? Why do you make me responsible for not keeping her? I was powerless to go against the
divine commands. That sacred and holy body, leaving the winding-sheet behind, filled me full of
sweet fragrance, sanctified me by its contact, and fulfilled the divine scheme, and was then
assumed, angels and archangels and all the heavenly powers escorting it. Now angels surround me,
and divine grace abounds in me. I am the physician of the sick. I am a perpetual source of
health, and the terror of demons. I am a city of refuge for fugitives. Approach with faith and
you will receive a sea of graces. Come, you of weak faith. All you [197] that thirst, come to the
waters in obedience to Isaias' commands, and you who have no money, come and buy for nothing. I
call upon all with the Gospel invitation. Let him who longs for bodily or spiritual cure,
forgiveness of sins, deliverance from misfortune, the possession of heaven, approach me with
faith, and draw hence a strong and rich stream of grace. Just as the action of one and the same
water acts differently on the earth, air, and sun, according to the nature of each, producing
wine in the vine and oil in the olive-tree, so does one and the same grace profit each person
according to his needs. I do not possess grace on my own account. A tomb given up to corruption,
an object of sorrow and dejection, I receive a precious ointment, and am impregnated with it, and
this sweet fragrance alters my condition whilst it lasts. Truly, divine graces flow where they
will. I have sheltered the source of joy, and I have become rich in its perennial fountain.*

What shall we answer the tomb? You have indeed rich and abiding grace, but divine power is not
restricted by place, neither is the Mother [198] of God's working. If it were confined to the
tomb alone, few would be the richer. Now it is freely distributed in all parts of the world. Let
us then make our memory serve as a storehouse of God's Mother. How shall this be? She is a virgin
and a lover of virginity. She is pure and a lover of purity. If we purify our mind with the body,
we shall possess her grace. She shuns all impurity and impure passions. She has a horror of
intemperance, and a special hatred for fornication. She turns from its allurements as from the
progeny of serpents . . . She looks upon all sin as death-inflicting rejoicing in all good.
Contraries are cured by contraries. She delights in fasting and continence and spiritual
canticles, in purity, virginity, and wisdom. With these she is ever at peace, and takes them to
her heart. She embraces peace and a meek spirit, and love, mercy, and humility as her children.
In a word, she grieves over every sin, and is glad at all goodness as if it were her own. If we
turn away from our former sins in all earnestness and love goodness with all our hearts, and make
it our constant companion, she will frequently visit her servants, bringing all [199] blessings
with her, Christ her Son, the King and Lord who reigns in our hearts. To Him be glory, praise,
honour, power, and magnificence, with the eternal Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for
ever.

[201] LOVERS are wont to speak of what they love, and to let their fancy run on it by day and
night. Let no one therefore blame me, if I add a third tribute to the Mother of God, on her
triumphant departure. I am not profiting her, but myself and you who are here present, putting
before you a spiritual seasoning and refreshment in keeping with this holy night. We are
suffering, as you see, from scarcity of eatables. Therefore I am extemporising a repast, which,
if not very costly nor worthy of the occasion, will certainly be sufficient to still hunger. She
does not need our praise. It is we who need her glory. How indeed can glory be glorified, or the
source of light be enlightened? We are weaving a crown for ourselves in the doing. "I live," the
Lord says, "and I will glorify those who glorify Me." [202] Wine is truly pleasant to drink, and
bread to eat. The one rejoices, the other strengthens the heart of man. But what is sweeter than
the Mother of my God? She has taken my mind captive, and held my tongue in bondage. I think of
her by day and night. She, the Mother of the Word, supplies my words. The fruit of sterility
makes sterile minds fruitful. We keep to-day the feast of her blessed and divine transit from
this world. Let us then climb up the mystical mountain, where beyond the reach of worldly things,
passing through the obscurity of storm, we stand in the divine light and may give praise to
Almighty power. How does He, who dwells in the splendour of His glory, descend into the Virgin's
womb without leaving the bosom of the Father? How is He conceived in the flesh, and does He
spontaneously suffer, and suffer unto death, in that material body, gaining immortality through
corruptibility? (fqora kthsamenoV to afqarton). And, again, ascending
to the Father, He drew His Mother, according to the flesh, to His own Father, assuming into the
heavenly country her who was heaven on earth.

To-day the living ladder, through whom the [203] Most High descended and was seen on earth,
and conversed with men, was assumed into heaven by death. To-day the heavenly table, she, who
contained the bread of life, the fire of the Godhead, without knowing man, was assumed from earth
to heaven, and the gates of heaven opened wide to receive the gate of God from the East. To-day
the living city of God is transferred from the earthly to the heavenly Jerusalem, and she, who,
conceived her first-born and only Son, the first-born of all creation, the only begotten of the
Father, rests in the Church of the first-born: the true and living Ark of the Lord is taken to
the peace of her Son. The gates of heaven are opened to receive the receptacle of God, who,
bringing forth the tree of life, destroyed Eve's disobedience and Adam's penalty of death. And
Christ, the cause of all life, receives the chosen mirror, the mountain from which the stone
without hands filled the whole earth. She, who brought about the Word's divine Incarnation, rests
in her glorious tomb as in a bridal-chamber, whence she goes to the heavenly bridals, to share in
the kingdom of her Son and God, leaving her tomb as a place of rest [204] for those on earth. Is
her tomb indeed a resting-place? Yes, more famous than any other, not shining with gold, or
silver, or precious stones, nor covered with silken, golden, or purple adornments, but with the
divine radiance of the Holy Spirit. The angelic state is not for lovers of this world, but the
wondrous life of the blessed is for the servants of the Spirit, and passing to God is better and
sweeter than any other life. This tomb is fairer than Eden. And that I may not speak of the
enemy's deceit, in the one; of his, so to say, clever counsel, his envy and covetousness, of
Eve's weakness and pliability, the bait, sure and tempting, which cheated her and her husband,
their disobedience, exile, and death, not to speak of these things so as not to turn our feast
into sorrow, this grave gave up the mortal body it contained to the heavenly country. Eve became
the mother of the human family, and is not man made after the divine image, convicted by her
condemnation; "earth thou art, and unto earth thou shalt return." This tomb is more precious than
the tabernacle of old, receiving the real and life-giving receptacle of the Lord, the heavenly
table, not [205] the loaves of proposition, but of heaven, not material fire, but her who
contained the pure fire of the Godhead. This tomb is holier than the ark of Moses, blessed not
with types and shadows, but the truth itself. It showed forth the pure and golden urn, containing
the heavenly manna, the living tablet, receiving the Incarnate Word of God from the impress of
the Holy Spirit, the golden censer of the supersubstantial word. It showed forth her who
conceived the divine fire embalming all creation.

Let demons take to flight, and the thrice miserable Nestorians perish as the Egyptians of old,
and their ruler Pharao, the younger, a cruel devastator. They were swallowed up in the abyss of
blasphemy. Let us who are saved with dry feet, crossing the bitter waters of impiety, raise our
voices to the Mother of God at her departure. Let Mary, personifying the Church, lead the joyful
strain. Let the maidens of the spiritual Jerusalem go out in singing choirs. Let kings and
judges, with rulers, youths, and virgins, young and old, proclaim the Mother of God, and all
peoples and nations in their different ways and tongues, sing a new canticle. Let the air resound
with praise and [206] instrument, and the sun gladden this day of salvation. Rejoice, O heavens,
and may the clouds rain justice. Be glad, O divine apostles, the chosen ones of God's flock, who
seem to reach the highest visions, as lofty mountain tops. And you God's sheep, and His holy
people, the flock of the Church, who look to the high mountains of perfection, be sad, for the
fountain of life, God's Mother, is dead. It was necessary that what was made of earth should
return to earth, and thus be assumed to heaven. It was fitting that the earthly tenement should
be cast off, as gold is purified, so that the flesh in death might become pure and immortal, and
rise in shining immortality from the tomb.

To-day she begins her second life through Him who was the cause of her first being. She gave a
beginning, I mean, the life of the body, to Him who had no beginning in time, although the Father
was the cause of His divine existence. Rejoice holy and divine Mount Sion, in which reposes the
living divine mountain, the new Bethel, with its grace, human nature united with the Godhead.
From thee her Son ascended to heaven as [207] from the olives. Let the world-embracing cloud be
prepared and the winds gather the apostles to Mount Sion from the ends of the earth. Who are
these who soar up as clouds and eagles to the cause of all resurrection, ministering to the
Mother of God? Who is she who rises resplendent, all pure, and bright as the sun? Let the
spiritual lyres sing to her, the apostolic tongues. Let grave theologians raise their voices in
praise, Hierotheus, the vessel of election, in whom the Holy Spirit abides, knowing and teaching
divine things by the divine indwelling. Let him be wrapt out of the body and join willingly in
the joyful hymn. Let all nations clap their hands and praise the Mother of God. Let angels
minister to her body. Follow your Queen, O daughters of Jerusalem, and, together with her virgins
in the spirit, approach your Bridegroom in order to sit at His right hand. Make haste, Lord, to
give Thy Mother the welcome which is her due. Stretch out Thy divine hands. Receive Thy Mother's
soul into the Father's hands unto which Thou didst commend Thy spirit on the Cross. Speak sweet
words to her: [208] "Come, my beloved, whose purity is more dazzling than the sun, thou gavest me
of thy own, receive now what is mine. Come, my Mother, to thy Son, reign with Him who was poor
with thee." Depart, O Queen, depart, not as Moses did who went up to die. Die rather that thou
mayest ascend. Give up thy soul into the hands of thy Son. Return earth to the earth, it will be
no obstacle. Lift up your eyes, O people of God. See in Sion the Ark of the Lord God of powers,
and the apostles standing by it, burying the life-giving body which received our Lord. Invisible
angels are all around in lowly reverence doing homage to the Mother of their Lord. The Lord
Himself is there, who is present everywhere, and filling all things, the universal Being, not in
place. He is the Author and Creator of all things. Behold the Virgin, the daughter of Adam and
Mother of God; through Adam she gives her body to the earth, her soul to her Son above in the
heavenly courts. Let the holy city be sanctified, and rejoice in eternal praise. Let angels
precede the divine tabernacle on its passage, and prepare the tomb. Let the [209] radiance of the
spirit adorn it. Let sweet ointment be made ready and poured over the pure and undefiled body.
Let a clear stream of grace flow from grace in its source. Let the earth be sanctified by contact
with that body. Let the air rejoice at the Dormition. Let gentle breezes waft grace. Let all
nature keep the feast of the Mother of God's Dormition. May youthful bands applaud and eloquent
tongues acclaim her, and wise hearts ponder on the wonder, priests hoary with age gather strength
at the sight. Let all creation emulate heaven, even so the true measure of rejoicing would not be
reached.

Come, let us depart with her. Come, let us descend to that tomb with all our heart's desire.
Let us draw round that most sacred bed and sing the sweet words, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord
is with thee. Hail, predestined Mother of God. Hail, thou chosen one in the design of God from
all eternity, most sacred hope of earth, resting-place of divine fire, holiest delight of the
Spirit, fountain of living water, paradise of the tree of life, divine vine-branch, bringing
forth soul-sustaining nectar and ambrosia. Full river of spiritual graces, fertile land of the
[210] divine pastures, rose of purity, with the sweet fragrance of grace, lily of the royal robe,
pure Mother of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, token of our redemption,
handmaid and Mother, surpassing angelic powers." Come, let us stand round that pure tomb and draw
grace to our hearts. Let us raise the ever-virginal body with spiritual arms, and go with her
into the grave to die with her. Let us renounce our passions, and live with her in purity,
listening to the divine canticles of angels in the heavenly courts. Let us go in adoring, and
learn the wondrous mystery by which she is assumed to heaven, to be with her Son, higher than all
the angelic choirs. No one stands between Son and Mother. This, O Mother of God, is my third
sermon on thy departure, in lowly reverence to the Holy Trinity to whom thou didst minister, the
goodness of the Father, the power of the Spirit, receiving the Uncreated Word, the Almighty
Wisdom and Power of God. Accept, then, my good-will, which is greater than my capacity, and give
us salvation. Heal our passions, cure our diseases, help us out of our difficulties, make our
lives peaceful, send [211] us the illumination of the Spirit. Inflame us with the desire of thy
son. Render us pleasing to Him, so that we may enjoy happiness with Him, seeing thee resplendent
with thy Son's glory, rejoicing for ever, keeping feast in the Church with those who worthily
celebrate Him who worked our salvation through thee, Christ the Son of God, and our God. To Him
be glory and majesty, with the uncreated Father and the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and
for ever, through the endless ages of eternity. Amen.

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